Ten Points to Gryffindor
by diamondkitty
Summary: Three years after the final battle, Hermione succeeds in bringing Sirius back from the veil. Not completely plot-less, but M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the first story I've written in a long time. Please feel free to point out any errors in grammar or spelling, as I am beta-less at the moment. Looking forward to hearing what you think, kind reader._

Chapter One- Back from the veil

Hermione's POV

The first thing that she noticed once the veil opened was a strange odor. She was sure that it was something that she had smelled before, both earthy and primal. Through her daze, she struggled to remember why the scent was so familiar. As a head of dark, wet and tangled hair emerged, it came back to her.

Before she got her Hogwarts letter, she was close friends with her neighbor's daughter Kathryn. One night while at her house for a sleepover, Kathryn's dog started to labor with her litter of puppies. They watched while one by one, shiny wet bundles of fur were born.

Birth. That was the heavy scent permeating her senses. A shaking body crawled from the veil, head down, dripping with the visceral aftermath of birth.

She reached out then, her own hands shaking violently and sweat pouring down her face. Hermione paused to wipe the stinging drops from her eyes before reaching out again.

"Sirius," she said, hating how weak and raw her voice sounded. "Sirius, is it really you?"

It hurt her physically to see him flinch away from the sound of her voice. She scooted closer; her hands were almost touching his face.

His eyes snapped up to hold hers the moment that her fingertips brushed his skin. Those bright grey orbs searched her eyes frantically, and there was a flash of recognition. The skin between his brows drew together in a deep frown, his worry lines harsh. His sides heaved along with his quick shallow breathing.

"Ha…Harry.." he rasped, barely making a sound.

She was surprised that she could find her own voice.

"He's alive. Alive and well."

She sprang at him then, pulling him into a tight embrace. " _You're alive_. I can't believe I finally did it."

Hermione stroked his hair, not caring that he was as wet and naked as the day he was born. His face was buried next to her heart and she began to hum quietly as she pushed the wet locks out of his eyes. His trembling eased, and he relaxed against her.

"I don't really remember much of what happened," he said. His voice was muffled and rough. "I remember Bella and..."

"She's dead. Molly took care of her. You were dead too, Sirius. I was finally able to bring you back. I did it for Harry. He was so miserable and lost, even after he..."

She made herself stop. She was rambling, and the last thing the poor man needed was for her to turn into a blubbering mess. She took a huge, trembling breath.

"I have to get you out of here. I know how difficult this has to be for you, but you're going to have to walk out of here. I brought Harry's cloak with me. If we are going to sneak out of here then we need to hurry."

Hermione pulled away from him and grabbed the cloak from her bag. She stood up and carefully helped him to his feet. He wobbled unsteadily, but was able to take small, shuffling steps. Knowing that was the best she could hope for under the circumstances, she threw the shimmering cloak over him.

She threw all of her things into her bag and motioned from him to follow. They didn't run into anyone leaving the Department of Mysteries, and they reached the lift quicker than she thought possible. Once inside, she whispered for Sirius to get behind her in case anyone joined them.

Her face heated when she felt the full length of him pressed against her back, and fought to keep her face neutral. It must have worked, because the few Ministry workers who'd entered with them seemed none the wiser.

Now they just needed to make it to Muggle London.

The fates were smiling down on them because a few tense moments later and they exited onto a street bustling with the mid-day foot traffic of downtown.

"We are going to take a cab to my flat," she whispered, and felt him squeeze her shoulder. She frantically waved down a cab.

Hermione had so many questions for him, and keeping quiet during the short carbide was testing her patience. The cab driver tried to make polite conversation, but gave up with she kept replying with clipped one word responses. Once he gave up, the rest of the ride passed in silence. When they arrived at her building, she practically threw the fare and a generous tip at the man and hopped out.

Moments later, they were locked safe inside her flat.

"I know that we both are looking for answers, but I think you should shower and have something to eat first. Then we can talk." She suggested.

Hermione went into her kitchen to whip up a plate of fruit and sandwiches. She wasn't sure if he would be hungry, but she was. Besides, it never hurt to be prepared. After that was done, she laid some clothes for him on her bed and closed the door so that he could get dressed in peace.

Twenty minutes later he emerged dressed in a t-shirt and jogging pants. He looked so much better, and he gave her a small smile. She returned it with a huge smile of her own. Ushering him over to the couch, she fussed over him. Once he had a plate of food in his lap and a cup of tea in front of him on the table she sat down next to him.

"I know that you must have so many questions."

He nodded, taking a sip of his tea.

"How long was I gone?" he asked.

"It's been almost three years," She said quietly. After a sharp intake of breath and an intense glare from him, she told him everything. His death. Their hunt for horcruxes. The battle at Hogwarts. The complicated, possibly illegal blood ritual she used to bring him back.

"I don't understand. You can't just bring people back to life." He said

She smirked tiredly.

"The only reason I was able to do it because you were still alive when you passed through the veil. After the final battle and the dust settled, I started to research how to bring you back. Everyone is going to be so happy to see you." She started muttering to herself. "I need to send owls, make floo calls,"

"Hermione," he said, interrupting her. "I think that I need a night to recover. Maybe we can wait until tomorrow. It's been the strangest day I can remember, and all I want to do is sleep."

"Oh, of course!" she exclaimed, embarrassed that she didn't realized he was shattered.

She patted his arm.

"Why don't you finish eating and get some sleep. I'll just owl Harry and let him know I will be stopping by in the morning. I won't even tell him why." She said with a laugh.

After he had eaten his fill, he stood up from the couch and stretched, yawning hugely.

"I know I haven't said it yet, and it certainly won't be the last time," He paused and grabbed her hand, hauling her up to stand beside him and into a tight hug. " _Thank you_ , Hermione. I owe you my life, and I'm so grateful."

Hermione flushed with pleasure. "It's no trouble at all. I would do it all over again if I had to. I know that Harry will be so thrilled." She patted his back and pulled away.

With one last tired smile, Sirius went into the guest room and stretched out on the pillowy mattress. Within moments his eyes were closed and he was fast asleep.

Sirius POV

He sat up suddenly in the pitch-black of night, and it took him a few minutes to remember where he was. Sirius didn't know what made him wake up out of a deep sleep. Just as he began to lie back down, he heard a shrill muffled cry. Frowning, he got out of bed. He opened the door and heard it again, more clearly this time. It was coming from down the hall. Hermione's room. Cursing the fact he had no wand, he crept down the hall. Her door was cracked and a dim light trickled into the hallway.

"Noooo. I'm not…not going to betray him. I'll…never tell you."

Hermione was talking in her sleep. He hesitated at the door, unsure if he should go inside.

"Please! Please…someone help me!"

Her louder and more soul wrenching cry startled him into action, and he thrust the door open. His heart clenched at the scene playing out in the moonlight streaming through the window. Hermione's face was contorted in pain; her back arched high off the bed. Her hands were clawing at the sheets, and her head whipped violently back and forth.

A piercing scream ripped its way from deep inside her, wordless and hopeless. Sirius had heard that sound many times, from others and himself when imprisoned in Azkaban. He never thought he would hear it coming from her.

He ran to her side and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her a bit more roughly than he intended.

"Hermione, wake up! You're only dreaming!' He shouted.

She jolted awake, breathing hard. When she met his eyes, she burst into tears.

Sirius pulled the weeping girl to him and her tears quickly dampened the front of his shirt. He smoothed her wild hair away from her face, whispering low words of comfort into the soft bushy cloud of curls. He rocked her like a child, and after a few minutes her sobbing slowed. Her hands, which had been twisted into his shirt relaxed.

"Better now, love?" He murmured quietly, and she nodded against him. Sirius continued to soothe her, noticing that she smelled of ink and the warm scent of vanilla. She had matured over the last three years, and his body registered he was holding a woman. Hermione was pressed tightly against him. He mentally scolded himself for even allowing his thoughts to travel down that road.

"Do you have nightmares like this often?" He asked, looking down at her. Hermione's eyes were puffy, and her face was splotchy.

She nodded, but didn't elaborate. It must be worse than she is letting on. Sirius gave her one last squeeze, and started to stand. Her hands clutched at his arm, and his eyes snapped to her face. She was beet red, head hanging down.

"It's alright, Sirius. I don't know what came over me. I just…I just don't want to be alone." She whispered, and he had to strain to hear her.

He sighed deeply and sat back down.

"Come on then, budge over and give me some room. I'm hanging off the bed."

She was obviously embarrassed, but did as he asked anyway. Hermione lay stiffly beside him, seeming to be tensed for an attack. Sirius reached for her hand, and rubbed circles on her skin with his thumb. She gradually relaxed and he started to drift off. He felt her squeeze his hand as he succumbed to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for the follows and the faves, it means a lot! Thanks as well to I was BOTWP for the first review :3 Hope that you all enjoy this next chapter, and don't worry…its still M for a reason. I'm figuring this story will have three or four more chapters. Since this is my story, Fred, Remus and Tonks are still alive. Still don't have a beta, you've been warned._

Chapter 2 – A Snuggle Between Friends

Sirius POV

Daylight poured in through the window, and a beam shone directly into his eyes. Sirius groaned, and tried to roll away. He seemed to be pinned to the mattress. Cracking open an eye, he saw that Hermione's thin arm was thrown over his stomach. A shapely leg was wrapped around his own. She shifted, and it came dangerously close to brushing against his standard morning erection. Swallowing hard, he tried to pull away. Her grip tightened.

"Mmm. Five more minutes." She murmured, and snuggled into him.

He sighed, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Hermione, wake up." He said quietly.

She began to shift and he could feel the moment that she woke up. Her whole body stiffened, and she froze. He chuckled and she jumped away from him, her face flushed all the way to her hairline.

"Goodness! I'm sorry about that." She said, her voice small with embarrassment.

He laughed loudly "It's quite alright love. Nothing wrong with a little snuggle between friends." He waggled his eyebrows and winked like an idiot. Her tension vanished as she laughed at his antics.

"Alright then, let's get the day started. Would you care for some breakfast?' She asked, still smiling.

"Just tea and toast for me. I'm eager to see everyone." He replied.

They climbed from her bed and she walked to the kitchen. After visiting the loo he shuffled after her. When he joined her in the small, quaint kitchen, she already had a steaming cup of tea waiting for him. He sat down and she slid a plate of toast over to him. They ate in a comfortable silence. Looking around. He saw she had done nicely for herself since the war. Her flat was as he thought it would be; bright, clean and inviting. He was relaxed in a way he hadn't been in a very long time, and so it seemed he had to add to the list of things for which he owned Hermione thanks.

After they ate, she tidied up and went into her room to dress. Sirius wondered back into the living room, pausing to look at the pictures on the walls. There were, of course, many pictures of Harry. He felt a swell of pride that almost overwhelmed him. His godson had tapped into his inner strength, and with the help of his friends brought down the blight of the wizarding world. He looked more closely, and there didn't seem to be any pictures of Ron, which he found to be odd. He was sure that they would have been closer.

Hermione emerged wearing casual muggle clothes. Yes, she was certainly all grown-up, with gentle curves and dips in all the right places. Her riot of curls had been tamed into a braid. She was lovely. He sighed quietly…he really needed to stop thinking about her like that. She hadn't gone into her personal life, so he didn't know if she was seeing anyone.

"So," he drawled "I noticed a lack of ginger in your photo collection. Trouble in paradise?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, well, there were a few things that Ron and I couldn't see eye to eye on. By that I mean he brushed me off for fame seeking slags and didn't realize 'the error of his ways' until it was too late. I guess we are still friends, but nowhere nearly as close as we used to be."

"I'm sorry love. If it makes you feel any better, he's a bloody fucking moron to let you get away." He felt bad for bringing it up; he had clearly poked at a raw nerve.

"Don't worry about it. How could you have known," she said with a sigh. "I'm going to go over first so I can get everyone together, it shouldn't take too long. There are some clothes out for you. I grabbed some of your things when I started my research, glad to see that they're finally getting some use."

Hermione walked over to the fireplace and grabbed some floo powder from a small ornate box. She threw it into the flames and loudly called "Twelve Grimmauld Place."

After she had vanished in a swirl of green flames he hurried in to get dressed. It felt nice to be dressed in his own clothes, right down to a pair of flashy dragon hide boots. He looked at the clock, and saw she had only been gone a few minutes. Sirius began to pace preparing himself for the day ahead. It was sure to be 'one for the books' as the muggles liked to say.

Hermione's POV

She emerged from the fireplace and brushed some specks of ash from her shoulders. Harry and Ron were having a game of wizard's chess. They barely looked up.

"Hey Hermione." Harry said distractedly, not paying her much attention.

"Good morning, Harry. Who's here right now?" She hoped it would be like most mornings, as the Order still met for breakfast to compare notes on the state of affairs now that Voldemort was no more.

Ron was the one to answer her question.

"Mum, Dad, Ginny and the twins are here. I think Minerva is around here somewhere," He paused for a moment, considering his next move. "Why, what's going on?"

"We need to call an emergency meeting right away. I can't say anything until everyone gets here so we all have a chance to talk about damage control." She replied.

That got their attention, and Harry jumped to his feet. His knee caught the edge of the board, and the chess pieces clattered loudly as they hit the floor. Neither Ron nor Harry paid them any mind.

"Is it more Deatheaters, then? Has someone been hurt?" Harry asked, his eyes snapping green fire.

"No, nothing like that," she assured him, "It will just be easier to tell everyone at once so we don't have to repeat anything."

Ron and Harry exchanged a look about 'we', but didn't question her. Harry pulled out the gold coin from their DA days from his pocket. He rubbed it between his fingers and sent the call. The coins had worked so well for them all at Hogwarts and every Order member carried them at all times.

"Ok, you two go into the dining room and wait for everyone." They exchanged a suspicious glance at her request, but still didn't say anything. They learned long ago that questioning their friend usually turned out bad.

One by one the Order members came through, and she sent them to join everyone else. She checked her watch once they had all arrived. It had been almost half an hour since she'd left her flat. She sighed and began to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace.

Thankfully, the flames roared a moment later and Sirius stepped into the room.

"Alright then, are they all here?" He asked, seeming unconcerned.

"Yes." She replied, a little jealous that he wasn't a nervous wreck. She sure was, and she wasn't the one back from the dead.

"I'll go in first to let them know we have a guest, if you want." Hermione suggested.

"Nah, it will be so much more fun to surprise them, don't you think?"

Without further discussion, he turned on his heel and left the room, Hermione close behind him. Sirius sure knew how to keep things…interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

_These chapters should come pretty quickly, as all I have left to do is type everything. I work as a receptionist, and I'm allowed to write and read during my down time. I wrote about ninety percent of this during my twelve hour shift on Saturday. Hope that you're enjoying this story so far. Still no beta, just know I'm doing my best trying to catch errors. I understand that the POV seems to jump in random places. This story had points that just seem so natural to have a chapter break and places where a shift in POV was necessary._

Chapter Three – Reunions

Sirius POV

Sirius could feel Hermione's gaze burning into him as he casually sauntered down the hall. He couldn't help his grin. Deciding to be dramatic, he flung the door to the dining room open and it banged into the wall loudly.

Molly looked up first, ready to give the offender a piece of her mind. All of the color drained from her face once she realized who stood before them.

Everyone else was having a similar reaction. Harry let loose a surprised shout and ran to his godfather.

"How?" Harry wailed, wrapping around him in a tight hug. "Is this really happening?"

Sirius could barely understand the young man, who'd begun sobbing. He patted Harry's back, and felt his own tears threatening to escape. He knew that Harry had missed him, but it was heartbreaking to witness how intense the boy's emotions were.

"Hermione, you may want to take this one." He said to Hermione quietly.

He could feel her tense up behind him, now that all eyes were on her. Before she had a chance to answer, Minerva saved her.

"I know that everyone must have quite a few questions, as do I," she began, obviously shocked. "Let's all settle down; I'm certain there is an interesting story to be told."

They all nodded and watched him as he lead Harry to the table to sit down. Ron moved for Sirius to sit beside the still weeping Harry, and Molly patted his arm.

"Well, I think first off it needs to be said that there are quite a few of us that owe Miss Granger an apology. She was very obviously correct in her research." This was pointed out helpfully by Remus, whose smile currently rivaled the sun. "And I'm sure we're all eager to hear what you have to say." He wiped at his eyes, still smiling.

Hermione's POV

She took a deep breath and launched into her tale. Hermione left nothing out, going as far as to detail the steps in the ancient blood ritual she had finally mastered. She could tell that Minerva wanted to scold her for taking such a huge risk, but kept quiet in the face of her accomplishment.

Once she had filled everyone in, it was decided the first order of business was to come up with a story to tell the public, as the details of his death were thankfully vague outside of the Order.

"We should just tell them that he faked his own death," Tonks began thoughtfully. "That would cause the least amount of backlash, if there's any to be had. You were exonerated of your crimes while you were…away, Sirius. Did you know? Not to mention the Ministry would have a bloody field day if the heard what our Hermione has been up to. "

"That's a good idea," Minerva said. "All in favor," she paused and looked around, smiling when she saw all hands were raised. "That's settled then."

"So do you want us all to move out and give you some space?" Harry asked, finally calmed enough to find his voice.

"Don't be silly Harry! You are all more than welcome to stay. I've been thinking about it, and I think that I would actually like to find another place to live." Sirius replied.

"Don't be silly!" Harry threw back, Hermione knew that Sirius' comment hurt her friend, who had missed his godfather terribly. "We aren't going to force you out."

Sirius laughed, and she couldn't help but notice that he truly sounded happy.

"Harry, I've been dead. Before that I was stuck here in hiding for months on end in this place without seeing the light of day. I left you this house, Harry, and you're well on your way to making it a home. I need to move on from _here_ , not from you or anyone else. You're like family to me, and just because I don't want to live here doesn't mean I won't be 'round irritating the piss out of everyone."

While Sirius was speaking, Hermione could see the understanding dawn on Harry's face. The boy from under the stairs knew quite well what it was like to be trapped.

"Ok, I think I get it now, sorry that I got upset. If you're not going to stay here, then where will you go?" Harry asked.

"He can stay with me!" She blurted out, and her face turned beet red at her eager sounding outburst. No one else seemed to have noticed.

Except, that is, bloody Sirius Black. He sat leaned back in his chair, with one eyebrow raised, smirking. She couldn't help but notice that now that he was relaxed and happy he looked years younger. Hermione had always catalogued him in her mind as 'pleasant looking'. Her mind, however, had nothing to do with the fact she found him extremely attractive. She cursed her reaction and collected her thoughts.

"Well, it makes the most sense, doesn't it? I'm the only one in the Order outside Grimmauld that has their own flat with an empty guest room. You'll be able to come and go as you please and a quiet place if you need it."

"Now that sounds like a plan." Molly said, and everyone nodded in agreement. The Weasly matriarch rose from her seat and went to the kitchen, as it was almost lunch time. Hermione could hear the woman muttering from the kitchen, the pans and bowls clinking together in her haste to feed the crowd.

They all spent an enjoyable lunch together, and everyone was excited to talk with Sirius. After a few hours, she noticed that he was beginning to look tired. No one else seemed to see that, and she knew that he would never say anything.

"Aright, then, Sirius. Ready to go?" Hermione asked.

There was a chorus of protests, and she could tell that Sirius would cave under their pressure. There was no way he would be able to tell them no, because he missed everyone as much as they missed him.

Good thing for Sirius that she was a bossy swot.

"Really, it's not like you all won't have time to catch up with him later. Sirius has been through a lot and he hasn't really had any time to recover." She said crisply. She saw Sirius shoot her a grateful look from the corner of her eye.

She could tell they all felt bad about being so pushy, because no one had any more complaints. They crowded around for goodbyes and warm embraces.

Sirius turned to her and offered his arm, and once they'd left the dining room he seemed to sag with relief.

"Thanks for that, love. I didn't have the heart to tell them I was ready to leave." He said gratefully.

"No problem. I could see it turning into an all-night party." She said with a laugh.

He stepped thru the flames first, and she threw her own handful of floo powder in as soon as the flames died down.

He was already sitting on the couch when she arrived, looking ready to fall asleep where he sat.

"Once you're up to it we can go to Diagon Alley and get a new wand for you, I know you must be missing yours." She offered, and yawed hugely. "If you're hungry, you know where the kitchen is. I'm going to get settled for the evening."

"I think I'll do the same. Would you mind if I used your shower before you turn it?"

"Oh sure! Sorry you only have the half bath, but you must know I don't mind your using mine." She replied with a smile, grabbing a book and relaxing in her worn armchair.

She was so absorbed in her reading that the sound of the bathroom door shutting made her jump. Hermione looked up as he emerged and she was sure that she was beet red.

He stood there in the doorway, seemingly oblivious to the fact he was only wearing a towel. A towel that hung enticingly low on his hips. She watched a lone bead of water drip from his hair and slide down his chest. It disappeared into the scant dark hair under his navel.

Just when she thought that her mortification was complete, she realized she'd been staring at him with her mouth hanging open. It took all of her Gryffindor courage to meet his eyes.

Now he was wearing a towel and a satisfied smirk. "Sorry, love. I forgot to grab clothes."

"I'll grab some for you!" She literally jumped at the opportunity to leave the room, practically throwing her book across the room in the process.

Her eyes narrowed in irritation as he laughed at her hasty retreat. She snatched up a pair of pajama pants from the guest room and stomped back down the hall. She tossed him the pants, and he walked through her room into the bathroom to finish getting ready. He wisely kept his mouth shut.

Hermione fumed, annoyed with herself for staring at him, even thought she was sure no one would blame her. Sirius was _very_ fit, looking more like a wizard in his mid-twenties. He sauntered back out with a bundle of clothes under his arm and still looking far to satisfied with himself.

Oh, she was going to get him back for this, even though a small part of her knew that she would be playing with fire. She just couldn't find a good reason to care. He was going to be paid back, Hermione style, and the best part was he had no idea. Sirius probably thought she would slink around like an easily embarrassed school girl. Yeah right.

Hermione called out to him and wished him a good night, heading into her bedroom with purpose. Walking over to her dresser and pulling open a seldom used drawer, a smirk of her own crept across her face.

Two could play at this game.


End file.
